An Unexpected Debut
by KayKoala
Summary: Monchele Fanfiction: After their Glee days, Cory and Lea move to New York with new hopes and dreams and are soon faced with a very unexpected little gift.
1. Gleeful Beginnings

Cory Monteith shoved his way through the crowded corridors of the tiny wings located backstage of the Imperial Theater in bright and shining New York City. He was tall enough that he was able to spot the head of pinned up brown hair belonging to his wife. Of course a dozen other people were swarming around her at that moment as well. She had just returned from her brief visit with screaming fans that stalked outside the stage door and was currently busy working her way back to the dressing room. It was no use going after her just yet. He'd let the crowds die down.

Once the path seemed to have cleared, the tall Canadian mustered up a genuine crooked grin and tapped twice on the door with the little label reading 'Lea Michele'. A miniature woman, a whole foot below him, peered out from her room, still clad in full costume. Her stage makeup really accentuated her eyes and her prominent nose wrinkled as she formed an award winning smile.  
>"Three standing ovations. Not bad." She boasted playfully as she stepped up onto her tippy toes to place a loving kiss to Cory's lips.<p>

Five years ago he had been handed a script and told to read for the part of Finn Hudson. The same tiny woman had extended a hand and introduced herself as "Lea Michele. Your Rachel Berry."  
>And his Rachel Berry, she was.<br>They had come along way since then. They started out as co-stars. Friends. Family.  
>Somewhere between the second and third season of their smash hit television series, <em>Glee<em>, a romance had blossomed. For various reasons they had agreed to keep their relationship under wraps and it stayed that way until the end of season four.  
>It was hard to keep an engagement from friends and family, after all. So the public soon found out as well.<br>The end of the summer brought many changes. The project that was so very near and dear to their hearts-that had brought them from nobodies to somebodies; that had brought them to each other-had now come to a close and that ending was bittersweet. They packed their bags in Los Angeles, married on the stage of a Broadway Theatre, and moved to pretty New York loft overlooking the hustling, bustling Big Apple. Just the way Lea liked it.  
>They both constantly kept their eye out for movie auditions, but were choosy for the time being. They weren't just going to take any role offered their way; life in New York was amazingly quiet in a sense. Cory was content producing and performing in a band, while Lea dug back into her Broadway roots after being offered the role of Eponine in the revival of <em>Les Miserables<em>. There was less traveling. There was more free time.  
>Life was comfortable and life was good.<p>

"There's my girl." Cory laughed, scrunching down to enclose the woman in his arms. He handed her a bouquet of flowers and kissed her on the forehead. "You were amazing. I'm so proud."

Lea poked her nose into the mass of roses and inhaled their sweet scent. "Thank you! I caught a glimpse of you during A Little Fall Of Rain and there was definitely a little fall of rain on your face. Ahahahahah!"

Cory rolled his eyes, despite the loud cackle that she always seemed to emit after her own jokes.

"Nah, I wasn't crying! I was just like...confused because you were singing but you were dying..."

"Musical theatre, honey." The little diva patted his chest and made her way to her mirror to scrub off her makeup. "Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yup!" The lanky man swayed on the balls of his feet. "Suitcases packed and in the trunk! Feel like I haven't been on a plane in forever. Not since we've been married anyways."

"Thank goodness. We've traveled enough for a lifetime. I do wish I could come with but-"

"Your shows." Cory shrugged. "I know. Besides, it's only three days so it's not like I'm gonna have much free time. All work. My mom'll probably protest since I'm in Canada but she might have to get in line for an autograph."

Her face was now bare but just as beautiful.

"You should probably go. I don't want you to miss your flight, you're pushing it as it is."

"Yeah yeah but I had to come see you!"

"I know. And I'm so grateful you did. Means the world."

Lea met her husband in the middle of the tiny space and moved her gaze upwards.

"Only three days." He assured her with a gentle 'boop' to the nose. "You'll be at the theater in the evenings and it'll fly by."

"Of course." Lea nodded. "Since when have I needed you by my side every second? I'm fine. Have a safe trip, babe. I love you." She placed a kiss on his lips, flashed a smile, and pulled down her hair before heading towards the shower.

"Miss Independent. Gotcha. Love you."


	2. Oh Baby!

Lea licked her lips and slumped into the comfy cushions of the sofa, Sheila immediately sensing her stress and hopping up to join her.  
>Usually after a show she would head right to bed but there was no way that she was going to get a wink of sleep. She set down her steamy cup of tea and pulled a cozy blanket over herself and her furry counterpart.<p>

"Hey..." The whisper was barely audible as the brunette gently scratched the cat behind her ears. "Probably should wait to tell him, shouldn't I? So I can see his face."

The kitty didn't have much to say, tilting her head up at the woman and tenderly rubbing her face against Lea's arm in response.

"Yeah I suck at waiting." Lea announced, grabbing her iPhone and pressing the contact appropriately titled 'My Man'.  
>She waited three and a half rings exactly and he finally picked up.<p>

"Hey you!" Cory greeted. "I'm on my way back up to my hotel room. Perfect timing!" He scanned his key-card in the door and held the phone between his head and shoulder as he simultaneously attempted to change into only boxers.

"Heeeeey! Great! I was hoping it wasn't to late over there. I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"Nope. I finished a little late but I'm free now. How was the show?"

Lea sighed, absentmindedly twisting a piece of brown hair in her fingers. "Good. Everything went smoothly. Nothing to nuts. How was the meet-and-greet with the crazy fangirls? No one tried anything funny, did they? I'll kick their ass."

"Hah! It was good! It was great, ya know? A few proposals here and there. Told'em I didn't think you'd let me accept."

"You bet I wouldn't. You tell them Lea Michele says hello the next time you get an offer."

The man laughed and she could hear him jump onto the mattress.  
>She had to stop the small talk.<br>Just get it out, Lea. Just say it.

"...So something funny happened today." Lea mentioned, stroking Sheila for comfort. Her mind was racing. Would he be ecstatic? Angry? Heartbroken? It was hard to tell. "Remember how before opening night I had been a little under the weather? We thought it was stress."

There was a pause and when he finally spoke, his voice soft with concern. "Yeah...It's not coming back again, is it? Is it something else? Lea. I'll be home in two days. Take it easy. You can't overwork yourself again, it's not healthy."

"No! No I'm not overworking myself." Lea untangled her finger from her hair and sucked in her lips. "Cory, I'm pregnant."

Silence.

He was angry, that was the only explanation. They hadn't been planning this. They hadn't talked about it in depth. Didn't have a real plan. What if they weren't ready? They had only been married for a few months. She had been on the pill and they had been using protection.

"Lea...are you like...are you sure?"

On one end of the phone, the starlet chewed her lip in distress. "I bought two tests and they came out positive. Went out and purchased three more. Same results."

She could hear him emit a long breath and imagined him running his fingers through his hair.

"This is amazing. This is amazing, Lea."  
>His voice was soft but it sounded genuine.<p>

"Wait. Y-You're not upset?"

"Why would I be upset? It's not like this is a total mistake or anything. Yeah, we weren't planning it for right now but we're married. Gonna do it sometime, right?"

"Yes but this wasn't in our current agenda, Cory. This isn't an ideal time for either of us and are we even ready for this? For a baby. A baby, Cory."

His voice seemed a little more animated now. Less overwhelmed and shocked. "I know! I know. But this is awesome! Hey, we'll be okay. I'm shocked but this is cool. This is gonna be great, Boo."

Cory had a selection of nicknames that he saved for very special circumstances.  
>Boo. Beautiful. Baby.<br>The use of one always made Lea feel at ease. Always told her that things really were going to be okay.

"I guess...I guess this is a little bit exciting too, isn't it?" She squeaked. "I mean, we're going to be parents. Little Lea or Cory Jr."

Cory could hear her voice thicken with emotion. "Don't cry."

"These are good tears! I think they're good tears..." Lea laughed, sniffling to keep her composure. He could imagine her back at home; cuddling up under her blanket, snuggling closely with those two crazy cats. They weren't half bad sometimes...

"I wanted to wait and tell you when you got home, but I couldn't!" She continued. "I'm terrible at keeping secrets from you. But I am not telling anyone else until you're back. Not even my parents. Not even Jon."

"Deal. We'll tell them together. After we've got things figured out." Cory smiled, lying back onto the hotel bed, his phone practically plastered to his ear. Instead of stressing, somehow he felt giddy with joy.

"It's late over there. You should get some sleep."

"As if..." Cory laughed. "But alright. I have an early start tomorrow. You should too, babe. I'll call you in the morning. And Lea? I love you so much right now."

He could practically hear her smile.

"I love you very much too, Cory."


	3. Babs

The paparazzi flashed photos, a wave of cameras and microphones attempting to get as close to the actors as humanly possible.

Both Cory and Lea politely shoved their way through opposite ends of the airport, keeping their shades over their eyes as they ignored the usual banter of questions.  
><em><br>Cory, how was your trip to Canada?_  
><em>How is the marriage?<em>  
><em>Lea, do you have any comments about this season's run of Les Mis? <em>  
><em>Does Cory know you're meeting him here?<em>

Cory mumbled a few quick answers, while Lea kept silent. This was how it usually went; they'd leave the apartment, they'd be followed, and they'd each deal with the invasion of privacy in their own respective ways.

They met each other in the middle, a casual kiss and hug their only reunion. They didn't like to play it up for the public. They kept their marriage private as possible; something they had always done, especially in their dating days. The public hadn't even known they were together until they announced their engagement.

As soon as Cory's suitcases were in the car, Lea made her way to the drivers seat, craning her neck to find a clear path out of the crowded parking lot.

"I'm going to run one of them over one of these days, I swear." She announced, a smile on her face as she waved at the reporters. "Should I hit one of them?"

Cory laughed and placed a quick kiss on her check. "I think you'd get in trouble."

* * *

><p>As soon as the door to their loft was shut, Lea lunged at Cory. The tall Canadian lifted her up, supporting her weight as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He returned the fervent kisses that attacked his lips. "Hi."<p>

"Hi." She was beaming brightly; that giant grin that gave her this teeny double chin that she hated when he pointed out. It was his favorite. That smile meant pure happiness.

"So there's a baby in there, huh?" Cory took a seat on the bed with Lea still attached to his waist. With his usual goofy smile plastered on this face, he brushed his hand down to her stomach. Lea responded with a sweet kiss to the neck and he let his eyes linger at her abdomen. "Before-Before we do this, I had a question."

"Hm?"

"So like how are we telling people? The paparazzi will be in our faces through the whole entire thing if they find out."

Lea stiffened her back, letting out a breath. "I know. And I don't want that. This is something that we should be able to celebrate with family and friends. Without the added stress of cameras and questions. My thoughts are we keep it to ourselves a select few and let the public figure it out on their own when we can't hide it anymore. By the time I'm done with my season I'll be blowing up like a balloon so I'm sure their speculation will go to rest. Let's enjoy the privacy while we can."

Her husband nodded and smiled. "Okay. I like that. Speaking of privacy..."

It was Lea's turn to ignore the gentle sucking on her jawbone. "Now that you're home, can I call my parents?"

"Lea...Are we really calling everyone? I just got home. We just got busy. Can't this wait?"

She was pouting at him, her full lips puffed out in plea, her big eyes piercing through his heart.  
>Damn woman.<p>

"You're right, you're right. We should tell the family. They'll wanna know. I'll call my mom, you call yours."

"Deal." Lea hopped off of the bed, grabbing her iPhone and silently shimmying with excitement.

Over the phone, Cory was grinning widely. "...I know! I know, it's amazing! Yeah, we're ready, I think...Yeah, I'll tell her. I will, Mom...You betchya. Love you too."

Over the phone, Lea was bawling. "I knoooooooooow! I knoooow, it's just hitting me again now that I'm telling youuuuuuuu! Is that daddy? Put him on! Daaaaaaaaaaaad!..."

Cory pressed a kiss to the (hormonal) woman's head and patted her shoulder in support before leaving the room. The crying lasted the duration of her conversation with Marc and Edith and when she finally made an appearance, she was as perky as could be.

"My parents were ecstatic." Lea bubbled. "My mom claims that she was suspicious-she says a mother just knows-but I think she just likes to say that. How did your mom take it?"

"Great! She's super excited too. Talked about wanting to fly in after the baby was born and stuff."

"Awwee, of course! Little Babs will be very loved." Lea informed, perching on her husband's lap.

Cory grimaced at the name. Oh no, she was going to try and name their kid something weird and Broadway-like, he could just feel it. "Babs?"

"Babs! Like Barbra's nickname."

"Lea, we're not naming our kid Barbra. No offense..."

"No! I know! I know." The petite brunette assured him. "I just thought we needed something to call it until we find out the gender. If you're not even going to consider some of my Broadway-driven names (which I know you won't) at least let me have my way before it's out of the womb. You owe me that..." She grinned deviously.

"Oh I do, do I?" Cory laughed. "Fine. Babs it is. For now." He pecked her lips and trailed his kisses down her neck. "Weren't we doing something before our phone calls?"

"Oh you're absolutely right! Where were we? Babs, close your eyes."


	4. A Barbra Streisand Spotting

"So is there something you wanted to talk about or do you just miss me?" Jonathan Groff winked, carrying two roasted vegetable sandwiches back to a table-for-two. The tiny brunette set down her purse and sat down across from him, delicately unwrapping her food. She opened her mouth, attacking an abnormally big chunk of sandwich immediately.

Jon raised a brow. "Hungry?"

"Starved. I was at the theater all morning working with the new understudy for Marius. Michael wanted him to get a feel of what it would be like working with me should Brian ever have to miss a show." Lea shrugged, covering her veggie-filled cheeks with a polite hand. "Anyways, there is a purpose to this date! There's something I wanted to tell you, actually. I have some news..."

"Oh?" Her best friend smiled, looking up curiously. "What role? It's _Funny Girl_, isn't it. They've finally asked you."

"Nonono." The small woman corrected, waving a napkin. "It has nothing to do with work." She set down her sandwich and brushed some crumbs off of the table. "A few days ago, when Cory was in Canada for work, I took a test..."

There was a silence as Lea let her words hang, waiting for her friend to catch on.

"...Oh my god." The curly-haired man clasped a hand to his mouth, covering a toothy grin. "Lea..."

"Cory and I went to the doctor yesterday and I am indeed pregnant." The Broadway actress whispered, her face lighting up as she announced the words. "Three weeks."

Jon let out a loud laugh and practically pulled his best friend over the table for a hug. "That's so great, sweetie! Congratulations! Oh we are going to have so much fun with this kid."

"Uncle Jon." Lea tested proudly. "Has a ring don't you think?"

The two may have not been blood-related but they were soulmates through and through. Cory was her true love, Lea was sure of that. But even he respected the bond that she held with Jonathan. Their friendship was something special and she knew that he was genuinely enthused for each of her successes; even her growing bundle of loud, loud talent. She wanted Jon to be apart of her family's life as much as possible.

"Oh, most definitely! No wonder you're going to town on that sandwich! Eating for twoooo! Have you guys thought of any names or anything?"

Lea sipped her drink and tied her hair up into a casual bun. "No. We haven't gotten that far yet. I have a feeling that's really where we're going to clash. And anyways, we won't even know the gender for a few more months so...I've been calling him or her Babs. I do have a feeling it's a girl."

Jon let out a laugh, displaying a boyish grin. "Like Barbra. Love it! Love it. And you know what's in nine months, don't you? I'm betting on a nomination for you so you might just have two little bundles of joy come Tony season!"

* * *

><p>The Broadway duo left the cafe, walking arm-in-arm down the street filled with fast-paced-pedestrians and taxi cabs.<p>

Jonathan insisted on purchasing Babs' first official present but was forced to pass up all of the 'baby boutiques' for Lea's sake. Browsing in one of those would be to suspicious, especially with the number of people waving and shouting for autographs.

"You know, I only get this when I'm with you." Jon laughed, giving a very flustered Lea a quick squeeze on the arm. She was not one for the crowds. Not if it meant slowing down her. "Tell you what, I'll shop for Babs later. How about we hit your shoe store and I'll pretend to know anything about heels."

Before he could register any sort of answer, Lea pulled out of his grasp and hurried into a nearby men's clothing store.

_Jon! Can I have an autograph? _

_Where did Lea go?_

"Uh..." The actor grinned and scribbled down a quick autograph, giving the fans a wave. "Must've seen a sale!"

The loud atmosphere that awaited in the city disappeared as he entered the boutique. Giving the sales-person a polite smile, Jon scanned the room for Lea. He pulled out his phone just in time to see her making her way out of the restroom. "Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yes." She smiled, extending an arm as if nothing had happened. "Not feelin' so hot. Sandwich didn't sit well."

Jon grimaced and patted her back, holding open the door. "Tell me if you want to go home. If you're not feeling well-"

"I'm fine. I promise." The little brunette assured him.

The crowd outside the window of the store had grown, word spreading that a celebrity had made an appearance. Lea mustered her brightest smile and waved enthusiastically to the group of fans.

_Why did you run, Lea?_

"I thought I saw Barbra Streisand!" She joked, hugging Jonathan to her arm and squeezing through the crowd.

Lea was certain of one thing: If she could survive paparazzi and crazed fans, parenthood would be a piece of cake.


	5. The Visit

A knock at the door jolted Cory from his mid-afternoon nap. Letting out a big yawn, the tall man ran a hand through his untidy hair and sleepily got up off of the couch. It was his day off and Lea was at theater. This nap time was precious.

Cory opened the door and nearly let it slam shut. "Um..."

Joe Monteith looked uncomfortable standing there. Like he had been forced to pay a visit to the son he had only recently come back in contact with. Since Glee started things had been better.  
>Better than before anyways.<br>Before there was nothing.

"Hey..." Cory mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a man visit his boy? Thought I'd stop by and say hello!" The white haired man chuckled, patting his son on the back.

"You came all the way from Canada to say hello..." Cory let his father in and shut the door, Joe settling down on a chair at the kitchen table.

"I came here because I wanted to talk to you, Cory."

Bingo. There was always a catch. The young man gave a nod and sat down, his face emotionless. "Well I'm here so shoot."

Sitting up straighter, Joe seemed to take a moment to collect his thoughts. Cory new that whatever his father's reason was for showing up on his doorstep unexpectedly, it couldn't be good. His money was on money.

"You know I don't look at all those magazine stories. Gossip." The older man began. "But I can't help but read the ones about you, you know? You seem to stay out of all that mumbo jumbo so when I see your face in a magazine I...I mean of course I read it, what father wouldn't."

Was he really coming to talk about a tabloid rumor? Cory almost wanted to laugh.  
>"What did you read, dad?" He asked with a roll of his eyes.<p>

And then he asked it.

"Are you two uh...expecting?"

Cory furrowed his brow in silence. "...Where did you read that?"

Joe pulled out a crinkled article and set it on the table. "I know these aren't the most reliable sources but I saw it and...Just wanted to know if it was true for myself."

_Potential Finchel Babies? Are Lea & Cory Expecting? _

The article didn't give much proof. Cory skimmed over the tiny section; it was honestly one he'd have missed if he had been looking through the magazine himself. All it did was state speculation. Still, the fact that the reporters knew unnerved him.

"I'm sorry if it isn't true and I wasted your time." Joe interrupted nervously.

"No I...I'm glad you showed me." The tall boy licked his lips. "We are."

"Y-You are?" The eldest Monteith ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath. "Well congrats, son. That's great!"

"It is..." Cory nodded. But what was the catch? "Why did you come here to ask about that?"

"I get that you weren't going to tell me-"

"That's not true. We were going to tell you. We haven't told many people yet."

"You told mom?"

"Yes..."

Cory ran his tongue across his lips, glancing down at the table. Joe gave a nod and leaned in to catch his son's gaze. "I don't want you to be like me."

The younger Monteith lifted his head, meeting his father's eye.

"Promise me you'll be a better dad then I was."

Cory swallowed a breath and took in the words, giving a small nod as he mumbled. "Promise.."

Joe Monteith gave a satisfied nod and stood up from his seat.

"Dad, wait..." The tall boy said, following Joe to the door. "I'd really like it if you came by once the baby is born. Ya know, if you want to meet it."

He could see the man's jaw clench and before he knew it his father was pulling him in to an embrace. "Thanks, Cory. Means a lot. Figured you wouldn't want it to have anything to do with me." Joe explained, clearing his throat. "I'm not staying in the area but um...keep me updated."

A goofy grin formed on Cory's face and he patted a shoulder. "Thank _you_. Will do, dad."

* * *

><p>"Hello Helloooooo!" Lea called, hurrying into the apartment and setting down her bags.<br>"Oh! There you are! Hi."

Cory scrunched down, pecking his wife's lips in greeting. "How was the matinee?"

"Excellent! How was your day off? Full of relaxation and restoration?"

"Totally! Totally..." Cory nodded. "Actually my dad stopped by earlier today."

Lea whipped around from unpacking her bags, her face full of concern and her focus glued on him. "He was here? In New York? What did he want?"

"Saw some rumors about the baby." Cory muttered. "Made me promise that I'd be a better...dad than him."

"There are rumors?" The brunette's expression softened and her tiny hands were running up her husband's chest in comfort. "Cory...You're going to be a great dad. That was big of him to come down here. Are you okay?"

Cory smiled shyly and gave a little shrug. "Yeah! Thanks. You're gonna be a great mom. So weird...Momma Michele." He laughed, picking up the petite woman and planting a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Ya know, when you're ready for the world to know about Babs, I had an idea of how to tell them, by the way."

"Does it include tweeting about her?" Lea grinned, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck.

"Her?"

"Momma knows best. It's a girl. I can feel it."

"Ooh!" Cory laughed, shaking his head. "It has nothing to do with Twitter. But you like theatrical, right?"


	6. The Secret Is Out

_This is an E! Exclusive Interview and we are live here with actors Lea Michele and Cory Monteith. We've been itching to get you two here for a collective interview for a while._

Lea grinned and shifted her position on the fluffy sofa, crossing her legs. "We're so glad to be here!"

"This is great." Cory agreed, slipping his hand into hers.

The interviewer laughed that professional chuckle and glanced at her notes.  
><em>So we have a few things we wanted to ask you about today; first off, what are you guys up to? Lea, you're currently on Broadway...<em>

"I am! I am." The starlet agreed, tucking a brown curl behind her ear. "I did _Les Mis_ when I was eight years old, it was my first shoooooow so...to be back and playing Eponine is a dream. I am loving it." She bubbled, flashing a perky smile.

_And the reviews say you're great. That's wonderful. Cory, can you tell us a little bit about what's happening with your career these days?_

"Busy with Bonnie Dune-that's my band. Things have been picking up for us. Number six on iTunes two weeks ago, yeah!" The tall Canadian laughed, pumping a fist in the air. "Working on some producing with our record company aaaaand that's about it for now! It's fun!"

_Great! Great. So it's a rare thing for us to be able to get two celebrities, who are married, in the same room to sit down for an interview together. We don't see to many Monteith Scandals. Not much drama. How do you guys feel about being having your marriage blooming in the limelight? Do you try and avoid rumors or...We didn't even know you two were dating until the engagement!_

Lea glanced at her husband, silently offering to take on the question. "We do, ya know, I think we do honestly try and keep that element of privacy in our lives and in our marriage. There's only so much you can do and I definitely think that we try and be open to the questions people have for us...but also try and not be to out there."

"Yeah I mean you see all these marriages in Hollywood that don't last very long and it's hard because like, people see everything. That adds a whole new level of pressure." Cory added.

The woman nodded in understanding, flipping to the next note-card in her stack .  
><em>Let's talk about Glee. It's been a year and a half and people probably still bring it up<em>.

"They do! I think that every interview I have revolves around _Glee_. _Glee_ and Broadway." Lea laughed, nudging Cory playfully to signify his turn to speak.

"Yeah, we owe that show a lot and it's definitely a big part of who we are today so I think it's only natural that they still ask. And speaking of _Glee_, we actually read this article the other day; It was only in one magazine so I don't think it's been really over publicized but it was like called 'Finchel Baby' and saying that we were having a baby... " He laughed, gesturing animatedly with his hands. "And it's funny because all of the rumors that aren't true get these big stories..."

Lea grinned and nodded. "And the rumors that are true get one measly quarter of a page!..." She let out a laugh and covered her face, the woman across from them dropping open her mouth.

_Are you saying..._

"Surprise!" Cory waved both hands in the air with a laugh. "Are we allowed to announce stuff like this on television?"

_Oh my...congratulations! You heard it first on E! Wow! This isn't a joke, right?_

"Noooo!" Lea shook her head, regaining her composure. "No! We planned on announcing it this way. I wanted to tweet it but Cory said no."

"I was like laaaame. Twitter these days. Everyone tweets about babies and all that stuff. I wanted to be different."

_So you announced it via live interview. Well there you have it. Naturally, we have some questions! Can you give us details?_

"Well we don't know the gender." Lea took over, gracefully waving her hand in a fluid motion. "We're able to find out in...a month? Is that what they said?"

"Yeah, yeah. A month I think."

"A month. And so we don't have any names picked out, nothing like that."

_Are you planning to announce the gender when you find out?  
><em>

Cory looked to Lea for an answer. "We will see..." She replied with a mysterious smile and tilt of the head.

_Exciting. What is this going to do for you career wise? Have you thought that far ahead?  
><em>

This time Cory spoke first. "We've been talking about that, yeah. I mean the baby will come over the summer and so she'll be off anyways and I'll probably take some time off too. And then-"

"I'll probably go on hiatus for a season or so but once we've gotten, ya know, everything settled I'll definitely be back on the stage. We're taking it one day at a time." Lea smiled sweetly.

_"One day at a time". You've heard right, America, it seems there really will be a Finchel Baby. Or a Monchele Baby, rather! We know you have questions but we're out of time! Thanks so much! Cory Monteith and Lea Michele everybody!  
><em>


	7. Yoga

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of the great feedback! :)**

* * *

><p>Lea was finally showing by the first day of prenatal yoga. It was a lamaze-type class that she had forced Cory to sign up for and he was not looking forward to what was in store. He wasn't sure how you could practice having a baby or how it was going to look being in a room with a bunch of pregnant women attempting obscure positions but he was sure it wasn't pretty.<p>

Her tiny baby bump looked kinda cute, the way that it stuck out under her navy blue tank top and over her smokin' hot black yoga pants. She had her hair in a ponytail and two giant water bottles that she insisted they take along. Like this was really going to be a workout...

"Now I want everyone to find a mat-"

"Excuse me!"

They hadn't even picked a damn mat and Lea was already making her voice heard. "We brought our own. I thought we were supposed to supply our own yoga mat so I brought mine from home."

"That's perfectly fine. Take a seat please." The instructor guided with a stiff smile. "Now once everyone has found a mat, I'd like you to team up with your partner in what we call a-"

"I'm sorry, I just have one quick announcement."

"What is it Ms Michele?" Cory watched the instructor close her eyes as if to pretend the constant interruptions weren't bothering her.

"It's Monteith, actually. Michele is just my stage name. And screen name, technically. Also my middle name so it really is my name but..." Lea licked her lips. "Anyways, I just wanted to say that no flash photography and/or autographs are allowed during sessions. Please and thank you."

And with that she took a seat.

"You totally told'em, babe..." Cory muttered, rubbing his wife's shoulders.

"Well I didn't want the other couples participating to think that because I'm a celebrity my time here is any less-"

"Please no talking!"

"Sorry."

This class was totally weird.

They started with stretches which meant that Lea lied down and Cory was stuck pushing her legs back to work her hamstrings. She smacked him every time he patted her butt and kept snapping at him to pay attention when her voice was louder than everyone in the room combined! It totally wasn't fair.

After she was all stretched out, everyone did this weird thing where the woman did some 'downward facing dog' position and the guy had to make sure she kept her balance. Lea wasn't even huge like half of these ladies and she was content humming Lady Gaga songs as they moved from position to position so Cory wasn't even sure why he needed to be there.

Then came the breathing exercises. If the other things were weird this topped them all.

The tall Canadian pulled his wife onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her tiny protruding tummy. Everyone followed the breathing patterns shown by the instructor and all around him, people were panting in this weird, creepy rhythm.

And then there was Lea.

"Heee heee hooo hooo oh my god! Oh...Heee heee hooo hooo..."

"Mrs Monteith. The Instructor interrupted. "Please cease the sound effects. We know your profession but we do not need a childbirth simulation. Just do the breathing, please."

Cory rubbed his thumbs in circles on Lea's stomach as she begrudgingly continued with her exercises. They were just like vocal warm-ups according to her but he thought they sounded more like monkeys having sex. Or at least probably.

Her breaths were interrupted by a quiet "Oh!" and it didn't take him long to know the reason for the sound. His hands stopped their motion and a tiny thump pattered against his palm.

"Cory..."

The look on her face was indescribable. Sort of like what how pictured her looking after hearing her name for a win at the Tony Awards.

"Did you feel that?" She asked in a whisper.

"...Babs. Did that hurt?"

"Not really hurt." Lea assured, her voice an abnormally high squeak. "But she kicked. That was our baby, Cory..."

Prenatal Yoga class wasn't even really that bad. Aside from the weird breathing and the annoying instructor and Lea being paranoid in thinking everyone was going to tackle her off of her mat for an autograph, it really wasn't all that terrible of a thing.


	8. A Big Head

Lea Michele wrinkled her nose as the doctor applied the cold gel to her stomach.

Life had been spinning past her and changing rapidly as of late. Since the televised announcement of little Babs, baby gifts galore had been pouring in with the fan mail. The fans were to kind sometimes but the boxes of baby toys and little onesies honestly overwhelmed her. It was a reminder that in a months time her Eponine costume wouldn't be able to cover the growing life inside her. And in a few months down the road she would be attempting to play her hardest role yet.

The tiny brunette looked over at her husband who was swaying from side to side in his chair, eyes glued to the fuzzy monitor.

"Alrighty." The doctor smiled, beginning the ultrasound. "Let's see what we have here..."  
>He directed his pen to the screen, tracing the shape of a large blob."Ah! I see a head!"<p>

Lea frowned, opening her mouth in horror. It seemed to take up half of the screen! "It's so big! Is that-Is that normal?"

"Very. Just has a big head but it's nothing to worry about; means they'll be smart." The doctor laughed.

This was not a laughing matter. Damn Cory and his big old head.

"You know, you're far enough along that it is possible to find out the gender if you're interested. I can already tell."

The singer's dark eyes opened widely, moving to meet her husband's gaze.

"Whatdoyathink?" Cory muttered, taking her hand and bouncing his knee nervously.

"I'm going to miss calling it 'Babs'." Lea whispered as she craned her neck upward to receive a quick kiss. "We're ready."

"I knew right when we got him up on the monitor. See that little thing right there? Looks like it's a boy."

"That's his..." A muffled hum of awe followed Cory's whisper. Lea knew that he would be overjoyed with either the news of a son or a daughter but she had been so sure that it was going to be a girl. She had been so hoping that it was going to be a girl.

A boy?

"I'll give you two a minute." The doctor said, patting Cory's back and exiting the room. Lea was finally able to rip her eyes away from the monitor and she turned her head just in time to see her husband bury his face in his big hands.

"I...I know, I thought it was a girl too." She whispered, moving her hand up to rub circles on his back.

Cory lifted his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. Cory Monteith wasn't a crier. And when he did, the sight nearly broke Lea's heart.

"It's not that." The man mumbled, clumsily wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "I don't care if it's not a girl! Whatever! This is awesome, Lea. Everything's just...hitting me, you know? In a few months this will all be real and we'll have a little person. A real little person! And you should be happy no matter what we have."

Two brown eyes fluttered down in shame, the guilt of Cory's words stinging her emotions. "Cory...I was just surprised. I-I know I'll love him more than ever once he's here. Big head and all." Lips trembled as Lea lifted her chin to meet his eyes. "Does this mean he'll be like you? Cuz I'd really like that."

Cory's face softened at her words and he cupped his hand over her cheek in silence.

"I was...I was thinking maybe his middle name could be Jonathan." Lea added, a smile creeping onto her face through the tears. "That-That's always been something I've wanted. We can think about the first name later but that would mean a lot to me."

Cory swallowed and planted a loving kiss to his wife's cheek. "That will mean a lot to him to, I bet." He blew kisses onto her stomach, lingering there for a moment. "We love you, little guy. Can't wait to see you. Hope Momma calling you 'Babs' hasn't screwed you up to much." A gentle smack to the head brought Cory up and he laughed at the duck-like expression Lea held on her face. "Don't ever let anyone know I just did that."

Lea rolled her eyes. "I won't tell anyone about how sweet and marvelous you are, Cory. I'll make sure everyone thinks I hate your guts."

Giggling, the brunette pulled out her phone and waved it at her husband. "Tweet time! It's a boy!"


	9. Save The Whales

Stephen Jonathan Monteith was what they finally agreed to. His wife claimed that she wasn't going to go "all Rachel Berry" (as she put it) and force any Broadway names down his throat, but somehow Cory found himself agreeing to a name that happened to belong to one of the greatest musical theater composers of all time...  
>He could only blame Lea Michele Sarfati-Monteith.<p>

She was forced to take a leave on her musical as the weeks progressed and Cory was initially ecstatic. It meant less worry about Stephen (he knew that woman would work her butt off until someone literally dragged her off of the stage) and more quality time with Lea.  
>The first few weeks had been good: Cory would come home and there she would be, an elaborate vegan dinner awaiting them, followed by some cozy cuddling as they popped in a movie. But his biggest worry was that she wouldn't stay put. Lea Michele was a on-the-go type of person by nature and he knew she could only take being all cooped up for so long; eventually she would probably go crazy.<br>And it seemed like today was that day.

It was Cory's day off of work and he had convinced his inflating wife to stay in bed with him until the late afternoon. Lazy days like this were always a must on occasion and they were Cory's personal favorite. There was something about those days when he and Lea would just stay in bed and talk, nap, snuggle, and of course have sex. Everything was going so well until he said it.  
>The 'W' word.<br>"I feel like every morning I wake up and he's bigger and bigger." The Italian woman had said.  
>In which, without all that much thought, Cory had replied "I know! You're like a cute little whale!"<br>And then she lost it.

"Did...Did you just call me a whale?"

"What? No! I didn't mean it like-"

"A whale. A whale, Cory. A whale."

"Yeah I know I said 'whale' but-"

Then came the waterworks.

"D-D-Do you know how hard it is to sit around here day after day with nothing to occupy your time except watching reruns of Housewives of New Jersey? Do you? Huh?"

"Lea, don't cry. Don't cry, baby."

"Are you the one that has to carry a baby around with you, Cory? No! No you are not! You are an insensitive and immature idiot and we are never having sex again!"

The woman knew how to do drama, that was for sure.

"Ooh come on. Lea. Don't say that, you don't really mean it."

"I most certainly do mean it, Cory! I most certainly do! Do I look like I'm joking right now? I'm serious! We are never going to engage in sexual activity again!"

Cory made the mistake of rolling his eyes, causing the brunette woman to practically beat him out of the room.

"Just leave the room! Leave! I have my PETA campaign I'm going to work on! Oh! Maybe I should move from horses to whales instead! SAVE THE WHALES! I could be the poster child!"

The tall man ran a hand through his hair as the door slammed in his face and he shook his head before lounging on the couch. It was those insane pregnancy hormones and he knew she'd get over it. Of course maybe the term 'whale' wasn't a wise word choice...

He was totally owning Call of Duty when she finally came out. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and was sporting her maternity workout attire as she stepped in front of the TV with a very,_ very_ scary face.

Cory pressed pause and bit his lip. "Can I help you?"

Lea glared, her hands set on her hips.

"Come on, babe. I said I was sorry. You're right, that was a very stupid thing of me to say."

More glaring.

"If you're not going to accept my apology or at least talk to me, can you move? I'm in the middle of a game."

The little brunette kept her dark eyes glued to his, burning into his soul. After a moment she finally moved, making her way to her stationary bike. Cory let out a breath and shook his head resuming his level. In a matter of moments he could hear those _ridiculous_ breathing exercises that they had learned in class and looked over to find his wife peddling away with a fierce look in her eyes. She was determined to stay fit and braved the bike daily and never made those noises.

The Canadian paused the game, grimacing in irritation. "Could you please stop? I know you're just doing that to annoy me and I'm trying to concentrate."

The breathing continued as Lea burned her gaze through the wall and Cory finally gave up, tossing the controller onto the sofa. "You win." He shrugged, holding up two hands and walking back to the bedroom.

* * *

><p>A gentle nudge awoke him and he sat up to face a very sweat-covered Lea.<p>

"I'm here to apologize." Her fingers fumbled together over her belly and she worked hard to avoid Cory's gaze. "All of those things I said before were wrong. I overreacted. You're not an idiot or immature or any of those things."

Cory's lips inched into a half-smile as he cupped a hand over his wife's cheek. "It was my fault too. I wasn't thinking and weirdly, I meant it as a compliment."

Lea nodded in silence and rubbed his arm in comfort.

"You are beautiful." The drummer whispered. "More beautiful than I've ever seen you." He stroked a thumb over a tear that rolled down her cheek and planted a gentle kiss. "I know staying home is hard for you. In a few weeks things will be different."

Lea melted in his embrace and blinked the remaining mist from her eyes. After muttering a precious "I love you" she announced that she was off to shower and the tall man sat up a little straighter. "Need someone to join you in a duet when you sing in there?"

The Broadway star flashed a smile and shook her hips. "Get over here, Monteith."


	10. Stage Fright

"Cory?"

The soft plea awoke the Canadian from his deep slumber. Lea propped her head up and gently tapped her husband's shoulder until she saw his bedhead arise.

"Hmm." Cory grumbled, sitting up and running a hand through his untidy hair. "What's wrong?"

Lea felt bad for saying it; she really did. It was such a stereotypical scenario that part of her wanted to laugh. But she was sure that Cory Monteith would not find it a laughing matter. There was just absolutely no way that she could survive her stomach's grumbling and was surprised that her husband had been able to sleep through the noise. Between Baby's kicks and her progressive starvation, it was probably only minutes until Lea Michele would drop dead from hunger. This was a life or death situation.

"Can you make me a sandwich?"

Cory sleepily sat up, rubbing his face with a giant yawn. "Now? Can't you wait...three more hours?"

"I'm hungry." She squeaked.

The tall man let out a sigh. "Spinach and hummus again?"

"Yes."

Lea rubbed her swollen belly absentmindedly, watching Cory climb out from under the covers in search of his boxers. Their make-up sex had been fabulous (it always was) and ironically the pregnancy only heightened its quality. Aside from the fact that it took some time to find a comfortable position and aside from the fact that she hardly let Cory touch her boobs, everything about it was much more erotic. Lea found she said dirtier things and Cory swore she was louder.

The kitties at the foot of the bed seemed to take Cory's absence as their cue to cuddle. Stretching and yawning, Claude and Sheila trotted up to Lea's lap, mewing with affection. "I'm about to explode, huh?" The brunette muttered, scratching Claude behind the ear. "I'm so ready to be done with this part."

Cory returned, handing Lea her plate and planting a quick kiss on her temple before plopping back onto the bed.

"Thank you." Lea piped sweetly, leaning over to plant a kiss on the back of Cory's head. "You're the best."

"Mmhm."

* * *

><p>The soft sound of Cory's snoring filled the room within minutes. Claude was nestled on top of her belly and Sheila was curled up at the foot of the bed, keeping her toes toasty warm. Crumbs were all that remained of the spinach and hummus sandwich and the sound of late night New York traffic that was usually a lullaby, seemed to pound against her head.<p>

At the moment, sleep hardly felt like an option. Her mind was moving a mile per minute, shooting in every direction.

Down the hallway, the guest room had been transformed to a music themed nursery. Tiny black notes hung above the crib that was covered with a piano-key patterened blanket. A little plastic drum-set sat in the corner of the room, awaiting the pounding fists of the newest Monteith. In less than a month, the baby would make his debut and Lea's world would change completely. Her focus would shift from Lea, Broadway, and Cory, to the tiny life that kicked so fervently at the sound of her voice.

Would she be a good mother? Lea couldn't really say. She had no doubts about Cory; he was sweet and gentle and goofy and selfless. Everything she could have imagined for her future child's father and more. She had grown up with loving and supportive parents. Marc and Edith meant everything to her and Lea could only hope to give the baby half of the love they had given her.

The Tony Awards were in a week and she was nominated for Best Female Lead in a Play or Musical. She was completely giddy and ecstatic and couldn't help but think how funny things worked out. The Tonys were her dream; something that Lea considered her biggest goal in life. Yet a few mere weeks beyond the awards, something even bigger would be taking place.  
>It was safe to say that Lea Michele was experiencing some stage fright.<p>

Lea rested her head back against the pillows and plugged in her headphones. Music always helped clear her head, taking her to a place where she could just dream. It was probably time to get some sleep. After all, her nights full of peace and quiet were quickly and rapidly coming to an end. 


	11. A Real Barbra Streisand Spotting

Lea Michele felt a small tug on her dress as her best friend Jonathan zipped up the glittering navy back. She took a step and exhaled a breath as she examined the finished product. Three hours of prep time with the dream team and she was finally ready for the big night. It was the Tony Awards.

There had been some dispute as to whether or not the dress would fit and Lea had spent the weeks prior peddling away on her stationary bike. Exercising wouldn't stop her stomach from blowing up like a balloon but it was the only thing she clung to that assured her that there was a chance for fitting into that dress. Last minute alterations were never a very fun thing.

They had seemed to estimate about right and at eight and a half months, Lea Michele Monteith was snugly fitting into her shimmering, midnight blue Red Carpet gown. Her brown locks were loosely curled and draped over her shoulders, accentuating her plump pink lips and chocolate eyes.

"Radiant." Jon assured, flashing a smile at his counterpart through the reflection of the mirror. "You look great."

Lea nodded and couldn't help but chuckle. This was certainly not how she had envisioned winning her first Tony; waddling around ready to burst at any given moment. Fortunately she had been wearing her heels around the house just to make sure she could still master them like a pro.  
>Of course, she could.<p>

Cory appeared, brushing some crumbs off of his black suit and swinging a tie around in his hand. His eyes widened at the sight of the woman before him. "Wow..."

Lea whipped around instinctively, shooting him am only half-playful glare. "What are you wowing about? I know, I'm as big as a house!"

"No! No, I was wowing about the fact that you actually fit!" Cory's lips formed into his infamous smirk and he hurried over to rub his wife's shoulders and plant a sweet kiss to her cheek. "I'm joking. I was wowing because you're beautiful."

"Mhm. Let me get that for you." Lea laughed, fixing the tall man's tie and patting his cheek. "Stop eating. I see your crumbs and you can go to town with the dessert table at the after party."

* * *

><p>The limo arrived and the nominee and her date were whisked away after "good luck"s from their stylists and many "Break a leg! Not your water!"s From Jon.<p>

Lea dug out her little hand mirror from her clutch and popped it open to examine her face.

"Ready for this?" Cory asked, sliding a hand around her waist. "Big night tonight. Been waiting for this forever."

The mirror snapped shut and the brunette let out a sigh. "Yes, I'm ecstatic." She nodded. "And nervous! I've never been so nervous for an awards show. And I've been here tons of times! Performed and everything! This is just a..."

"Whole new game. Gotcha." Cory nodded, pecking her temple. "You'll be fine. You deserve that award."

The Red Carpet greeted the Broadway star with flashing lights. It was no different than any other award show she had ever attended, except that photographers and microphones seemed to gravitate automatically to the very pregnant nominee. Most women probably would opt out of attending at this point, but Lea would have gone panting and pushing.

_ Lea! How are you feeling tonight?_  
><em> How does it feel to have your first Tony nomination? <em>  
><em>Cory, what's on your mind right now?<em>  
><em> Lea Michele! Can you tell us about your shoes?<em>

The duo braved the carpet, answering as many questions as were thrust at them and greeting old colleagues and friends. Cory generally pretended to know who any of these people were because unlike other awards ceremonies the majority of attendees were stage actors. Lea usually ended up giving him a full-length biography of every person they came in contact with throughout the night on the ride home anyways.

"I'm so happy to be here." Lea was bubbling, as an interviewer held out a microphone. "This is such an honor and being here is such a dream, so honestly this night is just perfect! So amazing!"

The reporter said a few parting words and thanked Lea for her time, moving away to bombard another nominee. A tap on the shoulder got Lea's attention and she spun around, expecting to see an old friend.

"I'm such a fan of your work." Barbra Streisand smiled, holding out a hand. "It's so good to meet you in person. I saw _Les Miserables_ a few months ago and you were marvelous! Just marvelous."

Cory grinned at the blank expression that glazed over his wife's face. There was no sign that she was registering anything her idol was saying.

"You came to my show?" Lea squeaked, sounding like a timid five-year-old. "_Les Mis_ is a classic. Congratulations on your nomination tonight and on uh, your little bun in the oven, hm?" Barbra continued, giving Lea's belly a pat.

The short starlet stared in awe and nodded her head. "I do love you."

Wrapping an arm to keep her steady, the Canadian shook the older woman's hand. "So nice to meet you, . She's a really big fan so...just ignore what she says."

The Broadway woman chuckled and cupped one of Lea's hands in hers, giving a gentle pat. "Good luck to you tonight, my dear. And with everything to come!"

Lea nodded quickly as the woman walked away, continuing to stare into space.

"Yoohoo...Earth to Lea Michele." Cory laughed. "Babe."

"Barbra Streisand just spoke to me..."

"Lea, don't cry. Your make-up and stuff..."

"She just touched my hand."

"Never wash it. Just kidding, that's gross. Come on. Let's go inside now. Let's walk now."

* * *

><p>Every minute of being at the Tony Awards was usually heaven for Lea. This time however, every minute her heart beat faster as the clocked ticked towards her category. She wasn't sure if she was prepared to go up on stage and give an elaborate acceptance speech. But she knew for a fact that she wasn't prepared to lose.<p>

"You okay?" Cory whispered, entwining their fingers and scrunching down to listen over the acceptance speech of Best Composer.

"So nervous." The diva admitted, sliding the silver bracelets around her wrist anxiously. "Only three more categories."

Cory gave her hand an encouraging squeeze and listened to her let out a breath.

"I'm going to go to the ladies room. Get a breath of air in case I'm up there."

The man nodded and let go of her hand. "Be quick."

She waddled her way out of the tight row of people and headed out the designated 'exit' door. The empty restroom was a relief and Lea dabbed her cheeks with a damp towel, careful not to smudge any of her makeup. She mumbled a few words in the mirror, practicing her planned speech and nodding with determination. "Do this, Lea. You can do this."

A feeling of cold wetness dripped down her leg, causing the starlet to let out a light gasp.  
>Shit.<br>No.  
>Not today.<br>Not _now_.

Lea scrambled to a stall, making sure none of the liquid had gotten on her dress, cleaning up and attempting to regain her composure. She was running short on time before her category was called and needed to get back to that auditorium. But people didn't just have babies in a matter of minutes. It was usually hours, right? And there was no pain. She had time!

Lea arrived back in her seat with a giant smile and smoothed out the lap of her dress.

"Everything good?" Cory asked, bouncing his knee against the seat in front of him, much to its owner's dismay. "You're up next."

His wife nodded and looked up at the announcers as they began their reading of the next nominees. Lea knew who the opposing women were but nothing the announcers were saying was registering.

_And the Tony Award goes to...Lea Michele!_

Cory dove in for a kiss and was helping her up out of her chair in a matter of mere seconds. Lea didn't think, she just walked, letting an announcer help her up the few steps to the stage.

"I-I-I'm overwhelmed." Lea began, adjusting the microphone to her height and grinning up a storm. How could she not? She was finally holding that trophy in her hands and it felt wonderful. "I had a speech all planned out but my mind is blank!"  
>Tears ran down her face as she beamed brightly and babbled away, thanking every person that came to mind and rambling about never giving up on dreams.<br>"My time is running out because the orchestra has been playing for the last like, minute but I just wanted to say thank you! This means so much and I'm so truly honored."

The crowd applauded and Lea made her way back to her seat, sniffling and wiping away her tears delicately.

"I'm so proud of you." Cory whispered in her ear. His eyes were misty and Lea wanted to avoid saying everything but what she was going to have to say.

"Cory, when I was in the restroom before...my water broke."


	12. Eliza

Cory's face fell as the words his wife had uttered weighed down on him. "What? Wait...what?"

"Before they called my name and I went to-"

The Canadian stood up promptly, practically lifting Lea up out of her chair and stomping his way over an entire row of high heels and dress shoes. Heads turned and he was sure that the new announcers on stage were looking at him as well but he didn't care. He didn't even care about this Tony thing. All he cared about was keeping a tight grasp on the hand in his and making sure they got out of that building as quickly as possible.

"Cory! Cory? Cory." Lea halted their quick pace as soon as they exited the auditorium. "Stop. Take a deep breath and stop, babe. I haven't had any contractions, this could just be a...a mishap. We'll go see what the doctor says, but there's no rush. I thought I'd be the one flipping out..." The diva nodded with pride at her calm and panic-less aura until she felt the sharp pang. As if on cue, a razor sharp stab surged through her abdomen.

Cory frowned as his wife's lit up expression immediately faltered, her hands clutching his arm for support. "Ohh..."

That 'Ohh' scared the shit out of him.

"What? What is it? What happened?"

"I think that was a contraction." Lea shuffled away slowly, heading for a bench but Cory pulled her back. "Hey! Okay okay, no no no. We need to grab a cab. You can sit down in there. The baby isn't like...coming right now, is it?" He worried, bending down to try and see if her dress showed any signs of a baby popping out of her lady parts. She still looked pretty normal so that was good. Just a lot more frazzled than five seconds ago. Now it all seemed to be hitting her.

"Cory, I'm having a baby. Oh fuck, Cory, I can't do this. I can't do this."

"No! Shhh, it's okay. Let's just go outside, don't freak out on me! I thought you were supposed to be the calm one in this situation!"

They hailed a cab within seconds and Cory helped Lea scoot into the backseat. "You wouldn't be the calm one if you felt like your insides were being ripped away from your body, you idiot!" She snapped, leaning her head back against the seat.

Cory couldn't help but feel like this was going to be a long car ride.

* * *

><p>It felt like they had been at the hospital for hours. And maybe they had. Lea had spent what seemed like forever pacing back and forth from Cory to Jonathan, ranting about anything and everything. She had been fuming about horse drawn carriages when they had called the doctor back in and minutes later he was totally peeking up her vagina.<p>

"You're almost there, Lea. A few more centimeters and you'll be fully dilated and ready to push. Are you sure you don't want an epidural?"

"I said natural!" Lea barked, holding her Tony Award close to her chest. "I want an organic, all-natural, healthy experience for both myself and my baby."

The doctor nodded in understanding and snapped on some rubber gloves. "If you change your mind just let us know! I'll be back in a few."

The starlet made a face and whimpered against her pillows. "This hospital gown is atrocious. I hate this." She announced with a pout.

"I know, but in less than an hour, little Stephen will make his grand entrance!" Jon grinned, pecking his best friend's temple and rubbing her hand in his. "Let's watch some TV, get your mind off the pain."

Cory felt completely helpless. Even Jon seemed to have a better idea of what to do in this kind of situation. If he couldn't even help Lea before the baby was born...how was he going to be a good dad?

They flipped through channels until they found a showing of Audrey Hepburn's _My Fair Lady _which seemed to soothe Lea for a good two and a half minutes. A nurse came in attempted to pry the award out of the mother-to-be's hands, but the Broadway star was having none of it. If he had ever seen Lea Michele Sarfati-Monteith go all Bronx on someone, it was nothing compared to what that poor nurse endured. Lea was on a rampage, babbling about how she had rights to holding her Tony while giving birth, when things seemed to escalate quickly.

"It hurts, oh my god, Cory..."

Cory quickly scooted closer to the side of the bed, fumbling his hands up to clasp her hand in his. "Uh, get the doctor!"

It was soon confirmed that Lea was ready to push and Cory attempted to brace himself for what was to come. Thankfully, it was nothing like the movies but it still scared him half to death. The way she cried out in pain and there was nothing in the world he could do but mumble that it was going to be okay in her ear. The way she threatened him and promised never to have sex followed by panicked begging for him to stay with her. Cory rolled his hair towards the base of the bed, rubbing her leg affectionately. He peeked over and felt a mixture of vomit and emotion swelling up inside him.  
>"Dark hair...I see dark hair, Lea." The giant man swallowed and grinned, rolling his way back up to her face to stroke the bangs off of her forehead. Cory whispered an 'I love you' as she mustered up her strength for a final push and attacked her cheek for a kiss as the sound of her cries were replaced with a higher, shriller cry.<p>

Lea started to sob-much different tears from those of before-and Cory watched as the loud little baby was poked and prodded before nurses held him up.

Or _her_ up.

"What is...What is that..." Lea piped, pointing a finger to the lack of anticipated anatomy on the newborn.

"Well it seems she wanted to trick us, didn't she?" The doctor said. "Congratulations mommy, it's a girl."

Lea covered her mouth with emotion and glanced over lovingly at the Canadian that had started to cry. Jon pecked her forehead and laughed as the tiny infant was wrapped in a little pink blanket and placed gently in her arms.

"Oh Cory..." Lea marveled. "Look at her..." The petite brunette brushed a finger over the smooth cheek of the tiny girl, beaming brightly as two identical orbs blinked back at her. "She's beautiful. You're so gorgeous, little lady..."

"She is." Cory nodded, wiping his eyes fervently. "She's perfect. Look at her eyes, their yours. And her nose."

"Oh God!" Lea laughed, brushing her tears off of her face. "Poor baby! She has your dimples though so...She still has hope."

"Noooo, it's perfect, I love it!" Cory laughed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Can I uh..."

Lea grinned and carefully placed the baby in her husband's arms. "There ya go, daddy. Meet your daughter."  
>Her heart melted as she watched Cory and the tiny person they had created.<p>

"Your parents are on their way, Lea, they just texted. Oh, She's adorable." Jon grinned, peeking over Cory's shoulder. "What are you going to call her now that Stephen Jonathan doesn't seem so appropriate?"

"Oooh.." Lea pouted, tapping her chin and looking around the room for inspiration.

"Not Barbra." Cory laughed, placing a gentle kiss on the little girl's forehead.

"Hmm...What do you think about Eliza? Like Eliza DoLittle in _My Fair Lady_."

"Eliza..." Cory tested. "Eliza Michele."

Lea blushed and laughed. "We don't have to use Michele..."

"I know but...I kinda like the ring of it. That's what came to my mind. She looks like an Eliza Michele." He leaned towards Lea for a kiss and smiled against her lips. "Eliza Michele Monteith."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thanks so much for all of the great feedback guys! More chapters to come! It's not over yet :)<strong>


	13. Mama & Papa Bear

"Such a cutie-pie!" Edith Sarfati beamed, examining the drowsy baby in her husband's arms. "And so much dark hair, she'll be such a beauty. Hello Elizaaaaa."

"Think she'll be tall or short?" Marc laughed, glancing from his daughter fast asleep on the bed to her towering partner.

Cory grinned proudly, shrugging his shoulders. "Hard to say! I kinda hope she's super tiny, I like that. Plus it'd be weird if she was my height but whatever. I'd still love her."

He knew his mother was let down by the fact that she couldn't meet her new granddaughter upon her arrival but the flight wasn't booked for another three weeks and Cory was kinda glad. By then they'd probably need another set of hands around the house. Besides his teeny mother-in-law and the proud grandfather seemed to be handling "Little Liza" just fine. He didn't want her to be overwhelmed with lots of people anyways.

Edith stayed the night with Cory and Lea, doting over the newest family member and keeping her daughter company. By morning she left for work and Lea was up and out of bed stiffly changing into leggings and a loose sweater, gathering all of her belongings (Tony Award included). After the doctor gave them the "all clear", she tied her hair up into a dark bun, left her make-up undone, and changed her daughter into the little cupcake-patterened onesie that Jon had ran out to purchase the evening before.

Cory watched as his wife bundled the little girl up, gently situating her into the blue hockey-themed car-seat. Her high pitched voice jumped a decibel and she cooed and made her silly faces at the content newborn. It kinda choked him up-the good kind-but he wasn't going to cry or anything.  
>It wasn't like he was the one with baby hormones.<p>

Lea slipped on her sunglasses and smiled as Cory picked up the car-seat. "Ready?" She asked, snaking her arm through his free one. "Taking Baby hoooome!"

"So ready." Cory grinned, pecking the top of her head. "I just hope your cats are ready."

The doors to the outside world did not give Cory and Lea the greeting that they had been expecting. Instead of a simple walk to the car that Marc had driven over, crowds of paparazzi and anxious reporters awaited their arrival. Or the arrival of the newest Monteith...

Cameras flashed and mircophones were shoved into their faces as the couple maneuvered their way through the crowd. It took Lea's ears a moment to hear the tiny shriek that radiated from Cory's opposite side but as soon as she did something in her snapped.

"Move out of the way! Stop it! We don't want to talk right now!" The diva commanded loudly, taking Cory's hand and pulling him behind her. The baby's cries grew louder and louder and Lea swatted a microphone out of her face. "Get the hell out of my way!"

As they reached the vehicle, Cory buckled the car-seat in and moved around to the drivers seat. "Hey...You okay?"

"No I'm not fucking okay!" The little brunette fumed from the passenger's seat. "They give us no privacy! She's barely two days old! Those cameras scared her, I'm ready to kill them all. Run them over."

"Yeah, they're out of hand." Cory nodded, smirking lightly as he carefully pulled out of the parking space. "They should be glad Mama Bear isn't at the wheel."

* * *

><p>Lea opened the door to the sophisticated New York loft and carefully picked up the baby from her seat. Eliza's big brown eyes were awake and alert, taking in every movement and every motion of her mother's face and everything else around her.<p>

"Kitties! Come meet Baby!" Lea beamed as the two small animals trotted over for their usual greeting. "Are you gonna play with Sheila and Claude? Hm? Are you?" She touched her nose to the baby's and gave a bright grin. "Maybe in a little while. When you're a lil' bigger. Let's go see your room! It's music themed, yaaaaay!"

Cory shrugged at the cats and laughed, following his girls into the nursery. Lea gasped playfully, waving the baby's hand. "This is so cool! Be thankful mommy won and you don't have to sleep in a Canucks nursery."

"Heeeey! I agreed on this too! I love the music themed stuff. Hey Eliza! Look at your awesome baby drum-set for when you can like...sit up and move!"

Lea giggled and placed the baby into the crib, brushing her hair over her shoulder as she watched the tiny feet kick with discomfort. "Oh okay, we're hungry aren't we? Let's go eat. Soooo yummy!" She picked the baby back up and took a seat on the cushioned chair in the corner.

"You're gonna..." Cory nodded uncomfortably. "Your boobs again. Right. Not sure I can get used to that so I'll just...be in the kitchen. Eating too. Not milk though cuz that's weird..."

The starlet raised an brow and rolled her eyes. "This is a natural part of the process of motherhood and you're more than welcome to stay and be with your newborn daughter, Cory. Unless you're to immature to handle this."

"I...I'm not immature! What's the point of me standing here and watching you feed her?"

"I don't know! So you can experience a very pivotal aspect of her life? And mine! Why don't you burp her after we're done? You haven't held her since we were at the hospital. Bond with her."

"Nah it's...it's fine. You do that, I'll just...wait and say goodnight to her when you're finished." Cory shrugged and left the nursery, plopping on the couch with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. The excitement and joy of the new life still felt amazing but as each hour of the new baby's life went on, things just got harder. He had watched Edith change her diaper. Lea would feed her and interact with her and seemed such a natural.  
>All he did was look at her. In fact once when he had tried to hold her at the hospital, she screamed until Lea had come and hummed her a song.<br>It was his own baby and it didn't really even like him. Maybe he was to big and scary. Or maybe she knew he had no idea what he was doing.

After all, how could someone so big and awkward handle something so tiny and perfect?


	14. Alone Time

Lea Michele ushered her guests in with an animated wave and a humungous grin.

"Where's the guest of honor?" Chris Colfer smiled, hugging the brunette with an arm and attacking her with a sloppy kiss to the cheek. "Mmmm! So good to see you! And you, big guy!" He laughed, patting the proud father on the back.

Lea had spent the past week, rallying up as many old friends as she could to put together Eliza's first official welcoming party. Family and friends in the New York area had been stopping by the Monteith residency all throughout the week, but today was special. The whole Glee gang had been invited to fly in and meet the tiny girl.

Chris, Dianna, Naya, and Kevin had all been able to take time out of their busy lives for an impromptu trip to support their friends and former castmates and Cory was thankful. It was great to see old friends and he liked showing off the baby. Not really as much as Lea did, but it made him proud.

"Oh My God..." Dianna beamed, walking towards the bundle that was swinging contentedly in the family room. "She is so precious...Oh Lea..."

"That is one cute baby." Kevin agreed, joining the others surrounding the infant. "She has your nose! A little Lea nose, I love it."

"And Cory's head." Naya laughed, offering the baby her finger to grasp. "Auntie Naya is going to spoil you, girl. You better believe it."

While the girls and Kevin doted over the newborn, Chris plopped down on the sofa next to Cory. "Did Lea make these?" He asked, taking a bite of a vegan brownie.

"Uh, yeah she was in the kitchen all morning. I've had like five, don't tell her." The Canadian laughed, watching his wife remove the baby from her swing and begin to pass her around ("Oh! Remind me to show off my Tony too!" She was announcing playfully).

Chris poked at his brownie with a fork. "How are you liking being a dad? You guys must be great parents. Lea's looks like she's having the time of her life."

"She is!" Cory smiled. "She's so happy. I am too! It's amazing, it's great..." He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "The only thing is, we don't really talk. Not unless it's about the baby or something. She's so busy taking care of Eliza that it's like I'm invisible. I want to help but she practically just...brushes me aside. That baby's attached to her hip like all of the time. She won't even let me help her at night."

Chris frowned and slowly nodded. "Wow. Do you think she even knows? Looks to me like she's in her own little bubble of Lea and Eliza. Maybe you should talk to her?"

"And say what? This is such a big time for us, I don't want to screw up all the happy. Besides the baby likes her way better. When I hold her I feel like I'm going to break her."

"That's probably because she spends most of her time with Lea. I think she needs to give you a chance. Which means Lea needs to give you a chance."

Cory nodded and shrugged his large shoulders. "Yeah...Maybe I'll bring it up tonight. Wish me luck, man." 

* * *

><p>"Cory, can you finish the dishes for me? I need to get Liza ready for bed."<p>

Lea called from the kitchen, pulling off her apron and letting her dark hair fall from a bun back onto her shoulders.

"Sure! Yup!"

The actress watched her husband click off the hockey game and hurry into the kitchen, pecking her cheek as he passed her to the sink. She opened her mouth in a wide and playful smile and clapped her hands together softly as she moved towards the baby swing. "Are you ready to go to sleeeep? Let's go put your jammies on, mkay? We can wear the sheep PJs that Aunt Dianna got you."

"Hey Lea?"

"Mhm?" The woman twirled around with the baby in her arms. "What's up, babe?"

"Do you want me to put her down tonight? You've been working hard so...I can do it."

Lea smiled at her husband's offer but shook her head. "It's alright, I like doing it! I've got it. Oop! Almost forgot. Say goodnight to Daddy." She walked over and lifted the little girl up for Cory to kiss on the cheek.

After her nightly lullaby and a kiss on the head, Lea returned from the nursery and sighed happily. "Fun party, huh? It was so great to see everyone again. I'm bummed some of the others couldn't make it. Amber's going to try and visit next month!"

"I know! It was so awesome." Cory smiled, setting the last plate in the sink to dry. He wiped his hands and smirked, moving towards his wife. "It's not to late. Wanna pop in a movie or something? I feel like I never see you..." Wrapping his arms around her waist, Cory pressed a kiss to the head of dark hair below him.

"What do you mean you never see me? We've both been at home all day this week!"

"I know but..." Cory shrugged, searching for the words that would piss her off the least. "I feel like you've kinda been obsessing over the baby-not that that's a bad thing I guess-but like...I want to help out too and you do everything yourself. We're a team. Plus I miss you being my wife."

Lea frowned and looked up, meeting his gaze. "Cory, it's been one week and obviously she's a newborn. She needs care 24/7 right now. It won't always be this way."

"Yeah but...I feel like I'm shoved in the corner. She's mine just as much as yours. I don't even think she knows who I am."

"Of course she knows who you are, Cory, don't be ridiculous." Lea brushed a hand over his chest to smooth his shirt, glancing away towards the wall. "Why didn't you say any of this before?"

"Because I didn't want to ruin this week for you."

The Broadway star nodded slowly and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I haven't really let you in much have I? I've been so caught up in trying to be the perfect mom."

"Maybe the perfect mom could have good ol' dad share the work, ya know? He wants to get to know his daughter too."

A small smile formed on Lea's lips as she tangled her fingers with his. "You're right. Team Monteith. We do this together...I have kind of missed you..."

"Have you?" Cory smirked, raising a brow. "Well I'm glad! You couldn't live without me." He scrunched down, peppering her neck with kisses.

"Ooohhhooo. That's a pretty big statement, buddy! Lea Michele is a very independent woman! But maybe that's true..." She shut her eyes and choked out a small groan, moving her hands down his back. "No sex for three weeks..."

Cory groaned and pressed a kiss to her lips before pulling back. "That's cruel."

"Doctor's orders! But um..." He knew that look. The way she looked up at the ceiling with this smirk and did this cute little shrug. "There are other options..." Her tiny hands were moving down to the zipper of his jeans. "We deserve a few hours to ourselves. At least until she wakes up."

Cory nodded in agreement, shivering under her touch. "I happen to be all for that."


	15. Something Wrong

Cory breathed in deeply the scent of vanilla and honey. His nose was buried in his wife's dark hair, her warm body curled up in his arms. The baby had a habit of waking them up every two to three hours but this time she seemed to be letting them get some sleep. Of course he still woke up anyways, but in a much less loud manner.

Lea rolled over and grumbled into his neck, her cheeks and lips purse with sleep. In a few moments she groggily came around, fluttering her chocolate eyes up to his. "Baby didn't cry?"

"Mmnm." Cory smiled lightly, brushing her hair out of her face. "First night of peace. Go back to sleep."

Lea felt his lips rest against her forehead in a lingering kiss but kept her eyes open. "Maybe I should go check on her. She usually would've woken us up already. I'm surprised she's not hungry."

Cory sighed and nodded, reluctantly releasing the brunette from his arms and rubbing the sleep from his face. He watched as the little starlet grabbed her robe to cover her violet silk nightgown and shuffle out the door.

"...Cory?"

At the sound of Lea's panicked voice, Cory was up out of bed in an instant, pulling his boxers back on as he hopped down the hall. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The tiny woman was leaning over the crib, touching the squirming baby's face with a look he could only describe as terror. "She's burning up. She hasn't cried all night and she's burning up! Cory, this isn't good." The Italian woman gently cradled the little girl, flipping her hand over to feel the tiny pink forehead. "Something is wrong. I can feel it."

Cory's eyes widened as he swallowed and nodded, frozen in place for a split second. "Uh...I'll get the keys. We'll take her in."

* * *

><p>"Can I just see her? She's literally a week old! She's going to be scared without me!" Lea protested with a look that showed she was ready to barge past the doctor if he didn't give into her way.<p>

"We're going to finish running our tests and try and break the fever. Be glad that you caught it when you did. For infants as new and small as her, high temperatures like this can be fatal."

"Fatal? Bu-But she's been fine all week! They said she was healthy!"

"And we're hoping she will be. We may have caught it in time, we'll let you know as soon as anything changes."

The doctor left and Lea melted into her husband's arms with a groan of frustration. Cory initiated their movement, gently taking her hand and leading her to a pair of seats in the nearby waiting room.  
>It was a good five minutes before either of them said a word.<br>Lea was the first to speak. As always.

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"They said we caught it in time before her temp got to high so...yeah. I think." Cory rubbed his hands together. "I hope."

Lea nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, frowning deeply as she shook her head. "I shouldn't have let this happen."

"Lea, this isn't your-"

"How do you know?" The woman snapped. "How do you know I didn't miss the signs earlier? Or that it's not something I've done! How do you know it's not because I've been supplementing my breast milk with a soy-based bottled formula!"

"Lea..."

"I'm just saying this could be our fault, Cory! My fault. She's barely a week and I'm a terrible mother!"

"Nooo..." The Canadian wrapped his arms around his little partner. "Don't say that. You're an awesome mom. I see you everyday with her and I think, man. I wish I was half as good as you are with all of that diaper stuff and everything. You're a natural." He pressed his lips gently to her ear. "And you're being dramatic. This is not anyone's fault."

The Broadway actress nodded and wiped her tears, resting her head on Cory's shoulder. "Aside from this we're doing okay, right? We're not making to many mistakes?"

The tall man thought for a moment, giving a small shrug. "We've probably made a ton of little mistakes. Like when I accidentally let the cats eat some of her baby food or when you tried to bring her to the spa."

"I wasn't going to have her get a pedicure! I just wanted to show her off!" Lea laughed tearfully.

Cory chuckled and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "But we love her and we're doing the best we can do. We're learning, right?"

"Monteith?"

The duo looked up as the nurse in the doorway called their name. "We'd like to talk to you about Eliza."


	16. Daddy Daughter Day

"Is everything alright?" Lea frowned, glancing up at her husband and back to the man in the white coat.

"Fortunately yes." The doctor nodded. "Her temperature is back to normal, she seems to be healthy overall..."

Cory let out an audible breath of relief and nearly lifted Lea from her feet as he covered her in a tight hug. "Thank you so much!"

"Of course. Now if you notice she's starting up a fever again, don't hesitate to bring her in. Better safe than sorry. She's right in there, you two are welcome to see her."

The couple anxiously made their way into the brightly lit room to find the tiny girl yawning and blinking sleepily.

"Heeey..." Lea whispered, beaming at her daughter and stroking a chubby cheek. "How ya doing? Huh, Munchkin?"

Cory grinned widely and let Eliza lazily wrap her fist around his big finger. Shaking it gently, he chuckled. "Hey baby girl."

Lea leaned down and puffed her lips out into a duck-like expression. "Boo!"

Eliza kicked her legs, grinning widely.

"Hey! She likes your weird faces, babe!" Cory laughed.

"Yeah I figured that out when I started singing to haaaaaaah! Ouch, Cory, she's got my hair!" The mother wrinkled her nose and looked at the baby. "Ya got my hair!"

As if on cue, the tiny girl reached for her nose and gave it a tug.

Cory cracked up and grabbed his phone from his pocket, opening up the camera. "We are here at the doctor's office...The Monteith Clan at the Doc's." He zoomed in to Lea's face. "And Eliza Michele is taking on Lea Michele with her super strength! Hahaha!"

"Are you filming?"

"Nope." Cory turned the camera around and gave a devious smile before zooming the lens towards the baby. "By the way this is Eliza. Eliza Monteith. Also known as Liza and Super E. I just made that one up right now. Anyways...Say hi to Twitter, Super E!"

"Cory, she won't let go of my hair."

"Alright alright, gotta go save the day! Later Twitter!" Cory tweeted the video and shoved the phone back into his pocket before prying the chubby hands out of his wife's hair.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you're okay?" Lea prompted for the fourth time that morning.<p>

"Yes! We're fine! Lea, just go!"

Cory set down his Xbox remote and gently tickled the baby lying on his knee. Her hands were waving up at him and he inwardly thought how lucky he was not to have Lea's hair. Those tiny hands really latched onto her brown locks when she got the chance. Instead he bent down and kissed the balled up fists.

"Okaaaay..." The woman sang hesitantly. "I'll be home after dinner! Call me if you-"

"Yes." The tall man rolled his eyes. "I'll call you if I have any questions, I promise. Go enjoy yourself. Get pampered, do your spa thing. Do lunch with Jon. Have fun!"

Lea emitted the first genuine smile of the morning, a relaxed look brightening her face. "Alright. Thank you. You two have fun too! Be good for daddy! Let me come say goodbye again..."

"Foooooor the seventh time." Cory laughed, holding up the baby for a kiss. "Do I get one?"

"Oh. I do like you too..." Lea wrinkled her nose with a laugh and pecked his lips. "Bye."

As soon as the door shut, Cory slumped back into the couch and propped the baby up on his legs. "We finally got her outta here, Eliza! Haha, what are we gonna do? Wanna watch some hockey?"

He clicked the channels up to the game and bounced the little girl on his leg. "Wooo!" He laughed, watching the large brown eyes take in his every move. "...Mommy's gonna kill me but..."

He picked up the baby and made his way into the nursery, digging through the box of boy clothes that were piled for return. "I'd say a Canucks jersey is gender neutral! But you can tell me if you don't like it."

Cory tossed the pink and yellow polka-dotted shirt that read 'I don't cry! I sing!' aside, and carefully slipped on the jersey. "Heeey! Lookin' good, babe! Now we're totally ready for the game. And we don't have to fight mom for the TV so she can watch her _Housewives of New Jersey_ or whatever."

He was halfway back to the living room when he smelled it. Making a face, Cory pivoted back around and walked back to the nursery. "For someone so little that really smells bad."

The diaper change went relatively smoothly. He might of went a little overboard with the baby powder but he didn't want her to get a rash down there or something. That would suck. Beside baby powder smelled way better than the dirty diaper in the garbage.

Eliza was restless and inconsolable throughout the first half of the hockey game. At first Cory hoped she was just upset about their losing team but he knew that wasn't the case. He tried the bottle, she had already been changed, she wasn't going to sleep...

Unsure of what else to try, he clicked off the television and rested his head back on the couch. "I don't know what you need!"

He closed his eyes and listened to the baby's cries for a few seconds before lifting her up and trying that bouncy type thing Lea always did. He'd seen women do it before and usually it worked, right?

Cory bounced his knees awkwardly, patting Eliza's back, and mumbling a few "do do dooo"s.

Lea opened the door and made her way for the kitchen, spotting her sunglasses. "Sorry! It's just me, I forgot my..."

The brunette watched with wide eyes as the tall man-still so very uncoordinated-rocked a cooing baby on his shoulder. He was singing softly and walking around the room and hardly noticed her until he passed the doorway.

"Whoa!"

"I-I just forgot my sunglasses."

"Oh...I was just-"

Lea grinned, sucking in her lips. "You two seem to be doing well...Nice jersey."

"Oh. Yeah." Cory blushed, giving a chuckle. "She's not really into watching hockey but she dug the jersey which I thought was cool. You're right though, she loves singing."

"And not just mine. See?" Lea patted his arm proudly and grabbed the sunglasses from the counter. "Looks like you're a natural!"


	17. Whole Foods

Lea alternated between making faces at the baby and focusing on her neatly hand-written shopping list as she pushed the cart down the aisles of Whole Foods. Just walking into the store had been a production, as the cameras seemed even more frequent now that there was some excitement in their lives. Fortunately for little Liza, Lea's favorite baby boutique sold very cute and trendy baby sunglasses! The kid was a pro at ignoring the paparazzi already.

"Organic peanut butter for daddy..." The brunette mumbled, tapping her chin as she scanned the shelves for her targeted purchase.  
>Aha! "On the damn top shelf..."<p>

She extended an arm in hopes to reach the jar and recoiled as another hand reached behind her, placing the item in her cart.

"Couldn't reach?"

Lea Michele's dark eyes grew as she looked up at the sandy-haired man across from her. "Theo. Hello. Since um...when did you start shopping at Whole Foods?"

"I don't." Theo shrugged. "But I still like that chocolate you bought here, remember?"

"Organic chocolate."

"Mhm..." Theo hummed, looking his ex-fiancé over with a nod. "You're looking good for just popping one out."

Lea pursed her lips and gave a stiff nod. "Great way to put it but...thank you."

"This your kid?"

"No." Lea shrugged. "I actually just stole this one from a lady in the parking lot. Mine's at home. Yes, this is Eliza."

"Cute kid. Look at the fucking nose!" Theo cooed, giving the baby a gentle tap on the nose. "I mean _freaking_ nose."

"Yeah well I'm in a rush so we better get going." Lea announced, beginning to push the cart away from the man.  
>How he still had the audacity to speak to her, made her sick. How someone had the audacity to ask to spend the rest of their live with you and then sleep with a crew member made her sick. Still, that was all in the past. She could attempt to be civil.<p>

"Hey wait..." Theo grabbed her arm to gain her attention, frowning as she pulled it back. His eyes softened and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm glad your happy."

Lea glanced at the little girl in front of her and rolled her eyes. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, I'm glad that you and him are like...working out. That you got yourself a family."

Lea took in the man before her, noting that this was the most genuine she had seen him in a long time. Lots more genuine than their fuming debates that ended things so long ago. "Thank you." She mumbled, opening her mouth to continue, but deciding against it. "Have a nice afternoon, Theo."

"You too, Lea. Take care with the kid."

The brunette pushed the cart away as the baby cooed contently, thinking over the words that Theo Stockman had said. She knew it was his own twisted way of giving a genuine and real apology. She knew he was saying "I'm glad you did better than the mess that we were. Don't ever let go of what you have because I don't have that."

Lea found herself pulling out her phone and pressing the goofy photo labeled 'My Man'. "Heeeey you. I'm just leaving Whole Foods. Ya know what I was thinking? Let's get away for the weekend. Your mom will be in town so she can watch Eliza and we'll have plenty of time to see her when we're back...I just want to spend some time with you, just the two of us! A romantic getaway."

Over the phone, she could practically hear Cory smile. "Who are you and what have you done with Lea Michele? Are you sure you want to do that so soon? Yeah! Yeah! That sounds perfect, babe. That sounds awesome! I'll see you ladies at home."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I promise I'm not a Theo Stockman hater! I'm sure he's a great guy and don't think he would do this. This is just for the story!<strong>


	18. Romantic Getaway

Cory Monteith tiptoed across the sandy beach towards the figure lying on a towel. It was day three out of four of the impromptu private beach getaway in Hawaii and the only care in the world facing the tall Canadian was remembering to load on the sunblock. Unlike his wife-who was currently either asleep or immersed fully in the world of her headphones as she lay out to tan-Cory burnt like a lobster. The red always turned to a nice healthy dark tone but it was a rough and painful experience.

He took in Lea's face, eyes closed and mind blocked out from everything in the world but her peaceful surroundings. Her slimmed down baby chub looked kinda cute in her purple bikini. That was his second favorite bikini. The pink one was his favorite but she liked to change it up everyday.

Cory knelt down silently and moved close to her ear. "BOO!"

"Waaaah!" The little brunette sat up quickly, eyes bursting open in surprise. "Don't do that!" Lea grinned, pulling out her headphones and wrapping them back up around her phone. "I was relaxing!"

"You've been 'relaxing' all afternoon! I don't think you've moved for a good...I dunno. Three hours."

"We're on vacation, Cory. This is what it's all about. Let me see your back, do we need to put more aloe?"

"Nah, it's good right now." The man shrugged. Without another word he scooped up his little wife and grinned at the ear-splitting laugh given in response.

"What are you doooooing?" Lea squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Aaaaaaaaand Lea Michele dunks into the water!" Cory announced, swinging his arms out teasingly.

"Don't throw me!"

"One..."

"Ahahahhahaha stop!"

"Two..."

"Cory Allan Michael!"

"Three!"

He let go of the woman, tossing her off of the dock, tumbling in after her held by her grip. She looked like a little wet animal bobbing for air when she showed up and Cory pulled her close under the waves.

"You're lucky I like you!" Lea cackled, cupping her hands over his cheeks and smiling widely. Her full lips came in for a loving kiss and Cory's hands rubbed circles at her waist. "Ya know, I like the stubble right now too. Keep the stubble." Lea informed, brushing over her husband's cheek with a thumb.

"I like that nose, keep the nose." Cory laughed, pecking it twice and grinning like an idiot. "I'm really glad you wanted to do this. Reminds me why I married a little Broadway nut like you."

Lea gaped her mouth open, feigning offense. "I resent that! I'm the one who married a goofball with a big ole head."

"Yeah...Yeah that's kinda true."

Lea felt Cory press his body closer and she briefly noted that his feet must've been touching the bottom. He trickled his lips down to her shoulder, placing a kiss on the tiny music note tattoo before lifting her hand up and pecking the heart on her finger.  
>She knew what this meant.<br>Any time Cory started to kiss her tattoos...

* * *

><p>Lea was resting under the gazebo, damp hair drying in natural curls, and a loose button-down shirt of Cory's covering her bikini. The Twitter mentions seemed non-stop (as always) after tweeting "Spending a lovely romantic getaway in paradise!"<br>Her attention was broken by the touch of a chin resting on the top of her head. "Hi."

"You and Twitter." Cory ran her hair through his fingers and pecked the top of her head. "Did you google if ocean sex is bad?" He smirked.

"Hey. You never know what health repercussions could come from doing that in a body of salt water! Fortunately I think we're good. Have you seen my phone, by the way? I haven't checked it since earlier and I don't know where it is..."

"Oh! Think I saw it in the kitchen, I'll go grab it for you." With a kiss to the cheek, Cory hurried into the beachhouse and grabbed the pale-pink cased iPhone. Jogging back out to the Broadway star he tossed her the device. "Says 8 calls from my mom...I bet she called me too. My phones in the bedroom."

Lea furrowed her brow and unlocked the screen, putting the phone to her ear to listen to the voicemail.

_Hi Lea, it's Ann. I tried calling you and Cory all afternoon. Eliza had a bit of a temp earlier so I took her in to the doctor and they said something about it being caused by an ear infection. Something with her...ear. They want to talk to you. Um...Sorry to disturb your trip but you should give me a call when you get the chance or...or have Cory give me a call. I'm sure you guys aren't at your phones right now...Okay, hope to talk to you soon sweetie. Call me!_


	19. Music

Music.

It was such a big part of who they were.  
>Lea had her voice. Broadway.<br>Cory had his drums. His band.

Glee had brought them together so in a sense they liked to say that music had brought them together. In a sense it shaped who they were at this very moment.

It was the reason they were sitting silently in a cab on the way back to the airport a day early from their vacation so that they could be with the precious little bundle back in New York. Neither Cory nor Lea spoke for the duration of the ride, mechanically gathering their things and pushing past the cameras that greeted them at the airport. Cory gently but protectively guided Lea through the crowd with a hand on her waist, boarding the flight that was headed for the Big Apple.

They settled into a pair of first class seats and did their regular routine; Lea put in her nose drops (this time Cory didn't have the heart to make fun of her), plugged in her headphones, popped in a piece of gum, and positioned a pillow around her neck. Cory pulled out the laptop, grabbed a bag of peanuts, and pulled up his videogame.  
>Lea hadn't yet started the music up on her iPhone and Cory was watching the menu screen of his game blankly.<p>

"I'm just..." Lea took out her headphones, speaking quietly as she looked over to her husband. "I'm just worried that they won't be able to fix it."

Cory nodded and exhaled a breath, forcing a small smile for the brunette beside him. "They will. When we called, the doctor said that there's a chance that once the surgery is over she'll have perfect hearing and we won't have to worry about this anymore."

"How did we not know?"

The Canadian furrowed his brow and glanced down at his lap. "I dunno. They said she was fine at first, it's just...somethin' happened, ya know? Something we couldn't control. And they caught it before her hearing was ruined fully. The surgery is gonna help her and she's gonna be fine. We should be glad it's not her heart or something. Nothing that could hurt her." He mumbled, pecking Lea's cheek and keeping his nose buried in her hair.

Lea frowned deeply and looked at her lap. "It's not the surgery I'm worried about. If it doesn't work she might not ever..."

"Hear your voice."

"Hear music."

Cory sucked in a deep breath and watched the singer intently. "Lea don't cry..." he whispered. "She'll be fine. Okay? I know she will be."

"You don't fucking know, Cory."

The lanky man swallowed and nodded, wrapping his arm around his wife. "She loves hearing you sing to much to give it up. How about that?" He smiled for a split-second and kissed the top of Lea's head. "Close your eyes and sleep, I'll wake you when we land."


	20. Gleeful Endings

**-3 Years Later-**

_Good evening everybody and welcome to a very special exclusive interview only here on E! News. We are here live with Hollywood couple Lea Michele and Cory Monteith and another very special guest! It's her first official televised debut! How do you feel about being here, Eliza? _

The tiny toddler with dark hair and prominent dimples kicked her feet from the sofa, looking up to her parents with a shy smile.

_Can you tell us how old you are?_

"Three." The loud high-pitched voice announced proudly, tilting her head at the interviewer.

_Wow! Amazing! So, Cory and Lea, lots is happening for you right now. Tell me about it. You guys did 'Glee' and then Lea, you went back to Broadway and Cory, you were working with your band. Am I correct? And your careers are kind of making a big comeback in the mainstream industry now._

"Yes!" Lea perked, crossing her legs and waving a hand. "Ya know, we're in such a good place right now! It's really great. Um, I'm currently working on finishing up my first album. Sooo...March 16th! Please go get it! Ahahahah! It's really been a dream."

_ March 16th the album comes out! Exciting. What about you, Cory?_

"I'm currently producing and acting in a film, which is great. Double threat! As long as there isn't dancing, I'm a double threat." The tall man laughed, giving a thumbs up. "And it's going awesome! It's great that we can stay in New York and...also do the work we wanna do."

_That's wonderful. So in our last interview you did here as a couple you guys talked a little bit about how you manage to balance marriage with your careers! And you guys also announced something very special...How have your lives changed now that you're not only celebrities, but parents? _

"Definitely one thing that I think has changed is our sense of priority." Lea started, Cory making a funny face as her words cut him off. "I definitely think that before, even when we were married we would be like 'Should we take on this project even though we'll never see one another?' and now we're more like...family first." She beamed, oblivious to the climbing toddler that was hugging Cory's neck beside her.

"DADDY!"

"Shhh..." Cory chuckled, prying the tiniest brunette's hands off of his shirt and setting her back into a sitting position. "Just sit while mommy talks."

"...And, you know, there are definitely challenges you face!" Lea was still going. "We had a really big scare that was sort of-sort of kept under wraps for a while and at the time it really needed to be for us personally, but with the whole..."

"We go hoooome?" Eliza questioned, standing on the sofa and bouncing up and down gently while taking a hold of one of Lea's curls. "Not...Not right now, sit down please, babe." The actress set the little girl on her lap and let out a laugh. "Haven't gotten to teaching interview etiquette just yet! Hahaha! Anyways, she was about a week old and Cory and I are in Hawaii and we get this call from Cory's mom-who was watching her at the time-saying 'you need to call Eliza's doctor! Something is wrong! Something is wrong!' and so obviously we panicked and we found out she needed surgery. So that's kind of when, I think, we sort of realized how big of a thing a family would be in this business. And how important it is. So..."

Cory nodded along and smirked at Eliza's lazy look in his wife's arms. "Definitely a hard time but it was a learning experience. And things worked out all good!" He announced enthusiastically.

_Wow, that's great. How do you think your parents are doing, Eliza?_

Lea pecked the dark hair below her and gave her daughter a squeeze. "How are daddy and I doing?" she whispered as the little girl sat up straighter to answer the question.

"My-My-My momma was on da stage! And she singed to me all da...all da time. And den-and den daddy he pick me up and he give me...caaaandy."

"Yes, that was him. Not me. Daddy is nuts. " Lea laughed, brushing back the little girl's bangs.

_It sounds like they're doing great. Maybe we'll see you on the stage or TV soon too. Well thank you so much for coming and talking to us, Monteiths! Any last comments before we pull up some questions from the fans?_

"Weeeeeeeeeeeell..." Lea sang, giving a knowing smile and looking up to the ceiling. "Of course we totally planned this in honor of our last interview here...Ahahahahaa!"

Cory grinned at Lea's laugh and turned back to the interviewer. "We'll need another seat on the couch for next year's interview."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: That's a wrap! I'm so glad you guys tuned in for the entire story! I wish I knew how to reply to all of your feedback personally, it was really great to read! :) <strong>


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